The Difference Between You and I
by ewartFaron
Summary: The story starts when a human boy meets a nameless angel.
1. Chapter 1

Where he was from, every day was almost too peaceful. There were absolutely no conflicts, everyone was overly nice, there was not a thing to worry about. It was totally different from the world below. How did he know that? He had been watching the world beneath him while growing up, through the gaps of the clouds in which his feet rest upon.

The world below was certainly an odd one. There would always be a war going on in some parts of that world, fights and arguments were like breathing to the people. He could see something within each human living on the earth surface, something absent in the people living on the clouds. If he had to describe it, it was dark and muddy. Perhaps that was the reason for all the disputes happening down there.

There were also more differences between those living above and those living below. For one, earth dwellers did not have wings. He could not imagine how they lived without wings – wings were such an important part of his life! He was extremely proud of his own pairs of wings, cloud dwellers usually have only one pair of wings, and yet he had two! He could fly the fastest amongst his peers; well, not that it mattered anyway. Cloud dwellers did not partake in competition and the pace of life was slow.

At age ten, he peered over the gaps of the clouds yet again. Cloud dwellers were blessed with excellent eyesight: despite the distance between earth and the clouds, he could see clearly what was going on.

He saw a little boy, crying. He thought it was strange, because the boy was all alone in the middle of a forest. He scanned the area and spotted a cottage a few kilometres away from the boy. Was the boy lost?

He hesitated a little.

It was not a custom for a cloud dweller to contact an earth dweller. But the little boy…he was bawling his eyes out, snot dripping from his nose, wailing for help.

He sighed. It was a cloud dweller's job to guide a lost human, wasn't it? To spread peace and harmony, for the goodness of the world, yada yada.

"Hey."

He spoke and the little boy looked up. The boy turned his head in search of the source of the voice, but poor humans, their eyesight were not on par with the cloud dwellers'.

"You can stop turning your head, you can't see me."

The little boy halted his movements and blinked twice.

"Who…are you?" The boy asked innocently. "Where are you?"

"Well…let's just say I'm standing on the clouds right now. You… are you lost?"

The boy immediately stared at the clouds. "Are you an angel?"

He could have sworn that their eyes met, but he knew very well the boy could not see him. "I guess that's what you humans call us. Say, are you lost?"

The little boy's eyes suddenly sparkled and he did not think that was possible, even for a cloud dweller. The boy chirped, "Cool! It's the first time I've seen one!"

He almost let out a laugh. This kid was hilarious. Just a moment ago, he was crying so loudly, and now he was smiling so brightly. It was rather comedic, given that his face was still stained with dried tears.

"Technically you can't see me," he joked with the boy. "Okay, tell me whether you're lost or not."

"Uh…" the boy glance around him. "…no."

He raised an eyebrow. "Hm? Then why were you crying just now?"

"I just…! I just didn't know the way home!" The little boy protested.

He almost laughed again. "That's called being lost."

The boy pouted. "Nu-uh!"

"Yes, it is. Do you want to know how to get home?"

"Yes!" The boy nodded vigorously.

"Is your home a cottage with a big 'x' sign on the roof?"

"Yes! Wow…! How do you know that?" The boy was in awe.

He chuckled. "I can see everything from up here. C'mon, I'll tell you the directions."

"Okay! Thank you, mister angel!" The boy grinned the cutest grin he had ever seen.

He felt his heart skip a beat. What was that?

"Alright, now turn left and walk forward."

The boy followed the directions obediently and started humming happily.

"Hey, mister angel!"

"Hm?"

"What is your name? Mine's Luffy!"

Names. Yet another difference between earth and cloud dwellers. Cloud dwellers had no need for names. They were clear on who they were referring to when communicating. Names would just be useless labels.

"I don't have a name," he said blatantly.

"Whaaaat? That's so sad!" Luffy pursed his lips. "I know! I'll think of a name for you!"

"Ah, well, I don't really need…" He trailed off once he realised there was no stopping this boy from giving him a name.

"How about…Ace? I think it means 'number one', and you're the first angel I've met!" Luffy suggested excitedly.

"Hm, sure."

"Hehe! Ace! I can't believe I made an angel friend!"

 _Friend…?_

"Wait, I'm sorry, friend…?" Since when were they friends? They had just met!

"Yup! Ace is now my friend! Nice to meet you!" Luffy giggled.

"Uh, okay…"

Well, he could just entertain the human, at least for now. The boy was still very pure, free of that darkness that shrouded other adult humans. But he was sure…once Luffy was grown up, he would be the same as the others.

"Hey, Luffy…could you do me a favour and not tell anyone about me?"

"Why? I want to tell everyone about Ace!"

"Us cloud dwellers, I mean, angels, aren't supposed to talk to humans. It would be a problem if word got out, you know?"

"…would Ace hate me if I told anybody?"

"I mean," he paused. No cloud dweller ever used the word 'hate'. 'Love' was the more common word. "…I just won't like it if you told anybody."

"…okay. I won't tell anyone. I promise."

Luffy went quiet for a moment before opening his mouth again.

"But Ace, can you promise me something too?"

"What is it?"

"Can you talk to me again tomorrow?"

Luffy's voice had a hint of sadness, he wondered why.

"I don't mind."

"Thank you," Luffy whispered.

There was it again.

"Cheer up. Look, you're home."

Before Luffy knew it, he had already walked all the way to the cottage where he lived.

"You're right! Thanks, Ace!" Luffy was suddenly bubbly again. "Well…talk to you tomorrow!"

With that, Luffy opened the cottage door with his small hands and slipped inside.


	2. Chapter 2

And so, the ten year old cloud dweller kept his promise, talking to the seven year old human boy the next day, and the day after that, and another day after…

Soon, the name 'Ace', the one dear Luffy had picked, stuck to him. After all, he had been talking to Luffy day after day, and to his surprise, he actually found their conversations to be a delight.

Luffy was such a lively child. Every day, Luffy would sit outside the cottage where Ace could see him and they would talk for hours. Ace had learnt that Luffy did not have any friends of his age, having lived in the middle of a forest. Luffy was left there by his grandfather who rarely visited, and he was raised by some group of bandits. The day Ace first met him, Luffy went on a little adventure into the forest in search of some friends. At first, Ace agreed to continue talking to Luffy out of pity, but as the days go by, Ace grew very fond of this human.

Before he knew it, seven years had passed.

Seven years of talking day after day, it was intriguing how they never ran out of things to talk about.

Seventeen year old Ace lay upon the clouds above, gazing down to his beloved human friend. Fourteen year old Luffy was also gazing at the clouds, hoping to catch a glimpse of his angel friend, to which both of them knew was impossible.

"Hey, Ace," Luffy spoke in a soothing voice.

"Hm?"

"Y'know, how you can see how I look like and all," Luffy said.

"Yea?"

"It's so unfair I don't know how you look like."

"Heh, haven't I already described to you how I look like?"

"I know, I know!" Luffy chuckled. "Black hair, just like mine. Taller than me, by _a lot_." Luffy rolled his eyes at the last bit.

Ace laughed. "You got that right."

"And you've got wings."

"Mhm."

"But it's still unfair," Luffy huffed. "I still don't know _exactly_ how you look like. Your descriptions are so vague! You suck at describing!"

"Hey, I do not!" Ace protested.

"You do!" Luffy stuck out his tongue.

"You're not any better than me, stop complaining!"

"But you can see me so clearly! So it's unfair!" Luffy argued. "…I just wish, that maybe…one day I can meet you for real."

"Lu, you know I can't-"

"I know!" Luffy cut him off. "I'm just- I'm just wishing."

Luffy looked down, as if he was trying to hide his disappointed face. Ace had told him, many times in fact, how angels were not supposed to come down to the earth without permission. Actually, angels were not really supposed to be contacting humans in the first place. Ace had been contacting Luffy in secret, and so far he has not been caught.

"It's just that, sometimes…" Luffy continued. "Sometimes I start doubting myself."

Ace's ears perked up. "What do you mean?"

"I-I mean…" Luffy shook his head.

"Tell me, Luffy!"

"I, uhm…" Luffy fumbled with his words. "No, nevermind…"

"I won't be your friend anymore if you don't tell me!" Ace said sternly. Not that he actually meant it.

"I…I…" Luffy hesitated. "It's just that…!"

He suddenly broke into tears. "It's just that sometimes I don't know whether you're actually real or just a figment of my imagination!"

 _What._

"Luffy, I am _real_. What even made you think-"

"B-because…! I've never actually seen you! It could be that this is all in my head and I'm just hearing things-!"

"Where did you even get that idea from!"

"I heard Dadan and Dogra talking-! And they said if someone gets too lonely they might go crazy and maybe I went crazy seven years ago and maybe I'm actually just talking to nobody right now and…!"

Tears were streaming down Luffy's face as he gasped for air. His heart was racing, just like that day he got lost in the forest seven years ago.

 _Fear._

The only thing Luffy could hear was his own throbbing heartbeats. So heavy, so loud…was Ace still there? Was Ace…even there to begin with?

"Ace…?"

Silence.

Luffy's heart began picking up pace as the silence exacerbated the pain in his chest.

"Why…why aren't you replying…?" Luffy sniffed. "Don't…don't leave me alone…I'm sorry…"

"You idiot."

Luffy was startled.

Ace's voice was so close.

Luffy turned around and stared wide eyed at a teenager. He had locks of black hair which glistened in the sunlight, freckles which beautifully decorated his face…and _oh_ , something which Luffy had never seen in his fourteen years of life – two pairs of angel wings, so gracefully and elegantly sprouting from the teen's back, in such a pure shade of white.

Up till now, Luffy had lived a short life, and yet he was certain that this man was the most gorgeous person he was ever going to lay his eyes on in his entire life.

The teenager pulled Luffy in and hugged him tight.

"There. I'm here, in the flesh. Believe that I'm real now?"

"…Ace…?" Luffy still couldn't believe his eyes.

"Yea."

"It's…it's really Ace…"

"What, are you going to cry again? You've always been a crybaby, haven't you?" Ace teased, ruffling Luffy's hair.

"…Aaaaaaace...!" Luffy burst into another round of waterworks.

"Geh, you're getting snot all over me!" Ace quickly released Luffy from the embrace.

"Ace…! Ace…!"

"Yes, yes, I get it. You're happy to see me. You don't have to cry again."

"Ace…you lied to me…"

"What? Since when?"

"You said you were _waaaaay_ taller than me!" Luffy pouted, eyes still puffy.

"I am, aren't I?" Ace smirked.

"Nu-uh!" Luffy childishly protested. "You're only _a little_ taller than me! Like _this_ much taller!" Luffy gestured a tiny gap between his index finger and thumb.

Ace rolled his eyes. "Lu, you know I'm way taller than you. Don't be jealous."

"'M not jealous!"

Ace laughed at how adorable Luffy was, trying to be angry but was so obviously overjoyed – it was written all over his face, with his huge grin.

"Well…since I'm here already, wanna try flying for a bit?"

"Flying…?" Luffy blinked away the last of his tears.

A grin spread across Ace's own face as he easily scooped Luffy up, and with a strong flap of his feathered wings, they soared the skies.

"A-Ace! We're flying!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly, his arms clinged around Ace's neck and his head turned towards the ground which was metres away from them.

"Yea. How do you like it?" Ace laughed.

"It's amazing!" Luffy's eyes were sparkling again.

"That's good to hear. I'm going a little faster, okay?" Ace smiled as they picked up speed, gliding through the air over the forest.

"Shishishi! It feels great!" Luffy shouted so that Ace could hear him over the wind.

"I know, right?"

Finally, Ace found someone who was as thrilled to fly through the skies as him. After all, other cloud dwellers did not particularly find joy in it.

They circled the area a few times before landing a distance away from Luffy's cottage.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe I just flew!" Luffy breathed.

"Hah, that was my first time carrying someone else while flying…Luffy, you're surprisingly light, aren't ya? And so thin…" Ace folded his wings.

"Really? I eat a lot though," Luffy said.

"Yea, now that I get a closer look…" Ace trailed off.

 _Oh god._

Was Luffy always this cute? He was small and looked fragile (which Ace knew he wasn't); his messy but charming black hair almost covering his large, round eyes, and most importantly, _his smile_ …how was it that his smile was this bright?

Luffy was fourteen years old and yet he was still as pure as ever. Ace's prediction seven years ago was wrong: darkness has never once shrouded this boy. Luffy was a very special human…it is likely that the darkness will never envelop him.

"Ha…it's as if you are a cloud dweller, but born as a human by accident…" Ace let out a sigh.

"Hm?" Luffy tilted his head, confused by what Ace said.

How unfortunate. If only Luffy was born a cloud dweller, they wouldn't have to meet in secret, like this…

"If only there was some way…" Ace shook his head. "I would give you a pair of my wings…"

Maybe that was why he was born with two pairs of them.

But _of course_ , that was beyond the bounds of possibility.

Luffy was a human and Ace was a cloud dweller, they live in two very different worlds.

Yet, this did not stop Ace from wishing that they could one day live in the same world. It's fine even if Luffy was just a human, a weaker being that couldn't fly. Ace just had to protect him. No, Ace _will_ protect him.

"Luffy…I will become your wings."

"Does that mean you'd take me flying again?" Luffy asked with hopeful eyes, oblivious to the thoughts flowing through Ace's mind.

Ace smiled softly, mentally making a promise to himself.

"Yea, sure."


End file.
